Sectional oven unit



p 3, 1963 L. LEFEBVRE v 3,102g942 SECTIONAL OVEN UNIT Filed Jan. 9, 19562 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. F L L EF-E 5 (/RE Sept. 3, 1963 F. L.LEFEBVRE SECTIONAL OVEN UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1956INVENTOR. FTL. L E F E5 VH5 suitable for baking purposes inindustrial.

. 3,102,942 v SECTKQNAL (EVEN UNIT Fredrick L. Leiehvre, 1967 E. 57thSt., Cleveland, Qhio I Filed firm. 9, 19%,Ser. No. 558,008.

u I 2 Claims (Cl. 219--35) This invention'relates to ovens'a-ndprimarily those applications, and more particularly sectional ovens.

Generally speaking ovens in the: class to which this invention isdirected are presently beinglfurnished on-the' basis of customdesi-gnfor 'a specific application and as a result are productsof-costlyengineering and design for each individual set of conditions; I I

I :The; broad purpose of this invention is to provide standard heatingunits which may be combined in a manner to I meetiwidely varyingconditions, such conditions being largely. predetermined and thus reduceor eliminate the necessity of expending engineering and design time orskill. The foregoing is possible because such skills may be availedof toinitially determine conditions which can be met and} provide tabulationofcombinations requiredto ,rneet the'same, obviating subsequent resortthereto Simply. stated, the object of this invention is to make possiblethe provision of quantities of basicele-ments and units which may becombined in accordance with predetermined calculations to produce'results -usuallyonly pos I sible after custom production ofacorrlplete' 'oven.

In carrying out the foregoing, it is an object hereof to providea'single basic heating unit which may be arranged with duplicatesthereof to provide an oven section, and the oven section'in turn simplyaligned'and connected with a similar one or ones so asto produce acomplete oven with substantial savings in labor and material. F

' A further. object of the invention is to provide heating units whichare substantially rectilinear, being somewhat elongated; arranged-.iwithsides in alignment, the ends 'beingrfastened to common structural.members, one lat each end. The structural'mem'bersare in turn Soarranged as to enablealignment thereof with a correspondin-g structuralmember of an adjacent similar section'landthus provide a long row ifdesired and a conipiletegoven thereby. I Yet another-object of theinventionis to prov-ide the I units and sections abovedescribed,where'the structural members 'or certain of them may comprisea-racewayorraceways as the easetrna y be, thus. serving a .dual purpose thereby.g 1 Another object of the invention is to provide the racewaysdescribed, whether a't'single one'for each unit 013 3. pair as willusually be the "ease,"one at each en'd rot each section, arranged soastoreceivetherebetween, suitable" insulation, and further of suchs'liape as to enable the" art sts a ICE stood from a consideration [ofthe specification appended hereto and shown in the drawings wherein:

, EEGUREI is a perspective view showing an oven sec-v tionxconstructedin accordance with the invention with certain of the parts omitted andindicating more particularly the structural members provided. I

FIGURE 2 is an end view of an oven sectiongsimilar to FIGURE 1, with.certainof the supporting means therefor being illustrated. n

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional View, fragmentary innature takenabout'on theline 33 of FIGURE '2 looking inthesdirection of the arrows.FIGURE 4 is a view in elevationof a single. showing the relationship ofthe parts and structural members as well as the electrical conductorsavailed of therein. FIGURE Sis a view in elevationyon a somewhat reducedscale showing one form of oven as involving the assembly of threesections shown in other views in indi vidual parts and suggested meansfor supporting said see- I tions in alignment. w

FIGURE G is a verticalsectional View taken about on the line 6-@ of,FIGURE 5. 1

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of one of structural partsycomprising aheater unit body;

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 7 initially, the oven section generallydenoted A is seen as being com-prised. of I a numberof rectilinearbodies 1, the :same .being in the form of relatively long narrow andsomewhat shallow pan-like parts including longitudinal sides 2 and 3, abottom 4--and=the-end s 5 and 6 ofrsnbstantially duplicate conformationincluding as they do the notches (Sr-open ings '7 ands respectively. f

Whereas the illustrations of the show that the' oven section A iscomprised of our heater units '1 it will be understood that. unitsdesignated"1a and l'bumay be more widely spacedflas to thieiriside toside relationship 'so that 1a furtherunit may be inserted therebetweenl.and thus three units in alignmentlwill be provided." In-order to supportthe'sides thereof insubstantial engagemenuat least as.

to those illustrated in* the position 1a and lbaof" FIG-' URE 1,structural'meinbers denoted 10 may be provided,

thesemernbers' being U-shaped in -crossse'ction as illustrated inFIGURES including sides 11"and'l2 with a bottom iiifthe "sides -IIl and-12- being eqnippedwith covering of the insulation and retainingofthesame in 3 the units and structural members'are coniprised ofirisulating units or devices, mounted in the members and includinginsulating parts, and conducting parts which are equivalent to. bolts,the necessary nuts being used as required. i

Other and further objects of the invention will be underis provided.

inturned flanges 11a 'andlZa' for st'rengthincreasing purposes,.theistructur al member. =10" as a whole being a truncated Vinelevation'or what mayb'edescribed as av ltwill be understood that thestructural member 10; herein being described is composed'fof metal,formed in the [transverse and longitudinal'sbape shown or, substan- Itiallyi.- similar thereto with any preferred; manner of fabr-ication:being resorted toso that a rigid unitary element Since" thecontemplationhereof is one in whieh'electric energy is preferred as'thesource of heat generated, and furthertubular electric elements arefurnished, the said elementsbeing' i-ndicated' at 14- in 2, it is neces:

sar'y toprovide suitable electrical connections therefor in order toarrange the same any preferred circuit man ner. For this'purpose withthe tubular heating elements I 14 in'iplace, suitable connections aremade as by means of :the wires 15 v for example as shown'in' FIGURE 2,the: 1 wires: 15 'beingconductors' and illustrated also in FIG-' URE 3as extending from each end of each tubular ele-- merit 14 intoengagement with an insulator part equivalent to a bolt and denoted .16the said conductor 15 being maintained in conjunction with the bolt;lfiby means of the nuts 17 and 18. A preferredjform of ceramic in.Isulator may be furnished, indicated at 19, the belt or Federated Sept.3,1963 7 section the basic several figures herein the units 1'iii-alignment and i with i q: threaded member '16 extending through thebottom 4 at the end of the unit 1, the bolt further extending through Ivthe opening 19a and through a corresponding opening formed in thebottom 13 of the structural member 1 previously mentioned. 'A similar orduplicate ceramic Y insulator 19 may be providedon'the inner side of thexbottorn :13 and other nuts 20 may be furnished engaging thebolt orthreaded member 16,a further nut 21 being providedv to connect aconductor 22 thereto, the conductor 22 leading to'a'ny suitable sourceof electric energy 7 5 u'nderthe control of a switch 23 such as shown inFIG- "URE 4, the conductor such as 22 being illustratedlikewise therein.

Fromxthe foregoing description and bearing in mind that there is noother mechanical connection of the I structural members 10 with theunits 1, exceptthose'just described and actually comprising insulatorunits as well as mechanical connections, a rigid structure isnevertheless. provided. This rigid structure results from the fact athat there" are four insulator units at each end of the members oru-nits'1, connected as they are to the structural 'me mbers 10, the conductors22 being mounted within the structural members 10 and thusthe structuralmembers 10 acting as raceways therefor.

It is readily understood that the provisionof the v notches 7 and 8-isfor the express purpose of positioning the tubularheating elements 14therein and they may be retained in such notches in any preferredmanner, not particularly further disclosed herein. v i

As will be further appreciated, the structural members 10 or raceways assame may be preferably designated,

are provided, one at each end of a group of heater units v whichbasically comprise the members lrdescribed in detail heretofore,with'thebodies v1 suitably fastened thereto by the insulating units inthe manner describedfand as showri'in FIGURE 2 in end elevation, theconfiguration ofthestructural member or raceway is suchas to provide Iverticalbeating units as well as upper and lower angularly'positionedu'nitsb 5 Inladdition the sides 11 of the structuralelements10 are provided with suitable openings such as 25' through whichfastening members such as nuts and bolts may be introduced, whereby whena-series of sections whicli'are -1 indicated by thenotation A are placedin alignment .'lengthwise,wasillustrated in FIGURE 5, adjacent lcorre 1spondingsides '11 of similar'and correspondingly arranged v raceways'f10may befastened together. At the innerfisides, fastened to, the parts 12and extending down:

wardly' therefrom so as to support the sections A at any preferredheightareverti-cal angle iron mernbers such as, 26 and 27. Longitudinal-bracemembers 28 may be furnishedto stiffen the parts 26 transverse membersare shown they obviously may be and 27 and while no provided readily andwithout any particular engineering t calculation being required Since itwill be .obvious that suitable reflector member'sj14amay be providedwithin the heater units and number of units 1 may be provided byincreasing or decreasing the size of the structural members 10correspondingly. Thus in order to provide for a large variation inrequirements, the basic elements such as the units 1 may be provided asstandard parts and large numbers thereof fabricated in advance of use,similarly structural members or, raceways 10 being fabricated toaccommodate a range of units 1.

Iii-W1 1] therefore be understood that when certain conditions of useare to be met, by predetermining the output of the heating elementswhich may be accommodated and thus ascertaining how many heatingelements are reunits including the bolts or threaded members 16,, the

' portions may be provided for the raceways such as illusthelbodiesf -1'thereof, adjacent and behind the tubular elements 114 provided, it willalso be understood that a I substantial amount" of heat is presentand'therefore it is desirable to insulate the sections at the rearthereof and for that-- purpose FIGURE 6 is referred to as *wellas FIGURE5 illustrating the insulation material 29 and being in place therein'acover such as being provided thereover to retain the insulation materialbetween the raceways or structuralmembers 10, the said cover '30' lbeingf astened in any suitable manner to s'uclipnaceways.

-, Whereas FIGURE 5 illustrates the possibility 'of arranging ovensections in longitudinal series, it will be further, understood that anincrease or decrease in the,

nuts 17 and 18, and the ceramic parts 19', additional nuts 20 and 21areprovided to not only act as insulatin parts but further to mechanicallyfasten the units 1 to the raceways -10 without resorting to otherfastening means therefor. It will also be clear that suitable covertrated at 31 in FIGURE 1 in the form of a plate fastened to the flanges11a and 12a of the raceways 10. I Whilethe illustrations in therv-ariousfigures, particularly FIGURES 2, 4 and 6 show angle iron support memberssuch as 26 or 27, itwill be apparent that the oven sections may besupported in any preferred manner, and that the provision ofthe openingsor. parts '25 of the respective raceways may enable the connection inlongitudinal alignment of the ovensections to provide a complete oven aswill be desirable to meet certain conditions. J

1. In oven construction of the class described, in combination, a seriesof identical heating units, each unit comprising a relatively longnarrow box-like body, at least one, electric heating element havingelectrical terminal means mounted in each body, said bodies beingarranged in substantially aligned parallelism, a pair of structuralsupport members of substantially channel-like cross section andgenerally U-shaped in elevation, said. members each located atrespective ends of said bodies.

and extending generally transversely of the bodies, at least one of saidstructural members comprising a wiring raceway,electrically insulatedfastening means securing said-bodies and structural members together,said fasten ing means including electrical conductor means secured tosaid terminal means and extending into the interior of said structuralmembers;

2. In an oven construction as set forth in claim 1, and additionalelectrical conductor means in saidyraceway connected 'to' saidfirst-mentioned electrical conductor means and to an electrical powersupply.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS2,419,643"

, Hudson Apr. 29, 1947 2,472,293 Groven June 7, l949'--' 2,504,516Goodell Apr. 18, 1950 2,521,232 Lashells Sep f.5,' 1950 2,569,961 Tidd aOct 2, 1951 l2,688,l685 Goodell Sept. 7, 1954

1. IN OVEN CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, IN COMBINATION, A SERIESOF IDENTICAL HEATING UNITS, EACH UNIT COMPRISING A RELATIVELY LONGNARROW BOX-LIKE BODY, AT LEAST ONE ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT HAVINGELECTRICAL TERMINAL MEANS MOUNTED IN EACH BODY, SAID BODIES BEINGARRANGED IN SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED PARALLELISM, A PAIR OF STRUCTURALSUPPORT MEMBERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY CHANNEL-LIKE CROSS SECTION ANDGENERALLY U-SHAPED IN ELEVATION, SAID MEMBERS EACH LOCATED AT RESPECTIVEENDS OF SAID BODIES AND EXTENDING GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE BODIES,AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS COMPRISING A WIRING